The Subtle Knife
by clipped.amaryllis
Summary: Naruto is named the successor of Tsunade, and has a year to prove that he will be a good Rokudaime. He is vaguely surprised to learn that the political arena is as bloody as the field where the shinobi like to play.
1. Prologue

**The Subtle Knife**

**or**

**The Curious Incident of the Fox who Procured a Spot in the Kage Office**

**Disclaimer**: emo fox ATTACK does not own _**Naruto**_.

**Prologue**

* * *

"Tsunade-sama, it is the Council's wish that you step down." 

Tsunade had been expecting this confrontation with the Council of Elders for months. She had been the Godaime Hokage for well over a decade, had protected Konoha from the Akatsuki and Orochimaru, and had restored the village to a glory and strength that had not been enjoyed since the reign of Yondaime. But, there was something about Tsunade that infinitely irked the Council.

Tsunade was stubborn.

The Hokage and Council operated in a delicate dynamic of power and checks-and-balances. The Hokage could impose important mandates and decisions, all of which were subject to the scrutiny of the Council, who could and would null certain actions of the Hokage. However, there was a clause in the Hokage/Council Mandate that stated if the Hokage could provide sufficient evidence that his or her actions were beneficial to the glorification of Konoha, and had the support of the ANBU Captains, the Hokage could, in fact, overturn a decision of the Council and operate without approval.

The ANBU Captains were infinitely more loyal to their Hokage than they were to the most respected of Council members.

Tsunade had been very careful in exploiting that clause. At the start of her reign, she had only employed it to overturn small, trivial things: what type of decorations would be put up during the Kyuubi Festival to how many hours Academy students were required to practice their taijutsu, chakra control, and general ninja skills per week. Then, she started dabbling into things of more importance, such as which missions would be accepted and which refused. Finally, she influenced such major issues as to how far the power of Clan Heads extended and at which point the Hokage could interfere in Clan affairs to taking full control over the Leaf's diplomatic affairs and alliances.

Tsunade had been so careful that the Council could only sputter at how their lofty positions had been compromised so callously.

They did not take this lying down, of course. The Heads of the Council had appealed to the Daimyo on numerous occasions to aid them. He refused at first, and all seemed lost.

Then he died.

The Daimyo died tragically in his sleep, and his eldest son was hailed into his position and proved to be more eager to cooperate with the Council. After months of talks and useless bureaucracy, official documents calling for the impeachment of the Godaime Hokage had been drawn up.

It was an S-rank secret that these actions had occurred, as the subterfuge and general shady dealings amongst the government would surely send the villagers of Konoha (and all the common people of Fire Country) into a panic, causing a shockwave of aggression from the other Hidden Villages who were waiting like starving dogs for an opportunity to tip the scales in their direction and display their superior shinobi might. The Council had persuaded Tsunade that it would be in the interest of the public good for her to publicly announce her plans for retirement.

Tsunade agreed rather graciously to this arrangement, not because she cared too much about the probable negative backlash that would occur if she reacted differently, but because there was a juicy, wonderful catch.

Tsunade had been impeached, but it was and still remained her prerogative- hers and hers alone- to select a successor. Nothing the Council, Daimyo, or any higher-up did could affect or alter her decision, and only after a year of serving as the new Hokage could her successor be reviewed by the Council of Elders and Clan Elders for competency in the Kage office.

"I yield to the wishes of the Council, but first I would like to announce my heir and successor: one Uzumaki Naruto. Any objections?"

The Council was silent, and Tsunade's smirk was positively vicious.

"Good. He shall be sworn in as Rokudaime a month after I retire."

"Of course, Tsunade-sama: appearances must be kept up, so that the selection of Rokudaime does not seem the hasty action of a government cover-up."

The smirk was very nasty now.

"Of course."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hello everyone! This is my first fic, but I'll try to keep it from getting too crappy. If you see any errors, be it grammar or a technical detail from the Narutoverse, please tell me and I'll fix it (eventually). And sorry for the length, but following chapters will be longer than this. Well, um, Read and Review!! 

emo fox ATTACK


	2. The First Deception

**disclaimer**: emo fox ATTACK still does not own **_Naruto_**.

**Chapter 2**

**EDIT:** the chapter has been edited for minor grammar and structural errors ((I forgot to add some of those line things to break the chapter up ))

* * *

The seal was weakening. Naruto knew this. Jiraiya knew this. Tsunade knew this. 

No one else knew this and they planned to keep it that way.

The seal was still in tact, of course; neither the Hakke Fuuin Siki or Shisou Fuuin had eroded enough for the Kyuubi to even dream of escaping from its prison. But the seal was weaker, due to both the passage of time and the destructive quality of the Kyuubi psyche. The deterioration of the seal had increased once he became a genin and the Kyuubi had first forced its way to the forefront of his mind, increased again after the Valley of the End, and increased even further when he attained the four-tailed state during his travels with Jiraiya.

"_You need to be careful. It is wholly possible for you to achieve the full nine-tailed state, thus completely shattering the seal, destroying your body and releasing the Kyuubi to devour your soul and destroy Konoha. It's our job to make sure that never happens."_

The Yondaime had been a true prodigy amongst seal masters; he was peerless when he was living, and peerless still even years after his death. It was a truly risky gamble in trying to seal away a being as powerful as the Kyuubi; the Shiki Fuujin was not entirely reliable, and the power of the Shinigami levied a price that not many were willing to pay.

"_It's truly amazing that the seal has lasted as long as it has."_

His chakra was mingling with the Kyuubi's, but a complete merger was impossible: the demonic chakra was far too sinister and corroding to be incorporated fully and completely into the chakra system of a human, even that of a Jinchuuriki that had been exposed to the demonic presence since birth. The periodic bursts of the Kyuubi chakra that he utilized in desperate situations was detrimental enough, causing rapid cell death and regeneration, ultimately shortening his overall lifespan. Any attempt at a full chakra merger, or even a partial chakra merger, was a suicidal fool's fancy.

"Thank Kami-sama the Kyuubi wasn't placed in Sasuke," Naruto sighed.

Although a complete merger between human and demon was impossible, the Kyuubi's influence was far more apparent in Naruto than it was in years past. His hair, gold as ever, had a subtle deep red undertone that was readily apparent in the sunlight, his canines were noticeably larger than normal, and his nails seemed thicker, sharper, more clawlike; his face was thinner and sharper and distinctly vulpine now with the whisker marks that were a tad darker than they used to be. His eyes were the most disturbing, however: they were more slanted, and the iris had darkened to an iridescent purple with an odd pinkish rim about the pupil.

All of these changes were small ones, but together on the same person they were startling.

He looked feral. The villagers, surprisingly enough, seemed not to care.

He had not been called a monster in a long time: the whispering was still there, but less venomous and more of a habit. The people were tired. Their hatred had been diverted, back to the Snake Sannin that had killed their beloved Sandaime, plotted to destroy their glorious village, and seduced away their only Uchiha. In these unhappy times, even the presence of the demon brat was overlooked.

"Perhaps my dream isn't impossible," Naruto whispered to himself.

"What was that Naruto?" He looked to his right and smiled his squinty-eyed, toothy smile.

"Nothing, Sakura-chan. Hey, will you spar with me, please? I need to work off some energy!"

"Yeah, I'll spar with you: I can't stay too long, because Ino invited me over for dinner."

"Yeah, yeah! You're the best, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura laughed.

* * *

Team Kakashi still went out on missions together. Sakura and Naruto had recently been promoted to Jounin, so the title of team captain fell on Kakashi. They had been assigned a simple A rank assassination mission in the Grass Country. The mission however, turned out to be a fake and Team Kakashi was now fighting for their lives. 

"Kakashi, we need to retreat!"

"Taichou, I'll buy us some time! _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"_

Twenty clones appeared and they moved rapidly, dodging and twisting through volleys of senbon that were raining from the sky as they engaged the enemy nin, allowing Kakashi and Sakura to retreat to a safe distance as Naruto manipulated his bunshins from the precarious camouflage of a leafy branch. He hissed as a frantically flung shuriken embedded itself in his hand and in the second that his concentration broke his clones were dispelled and the earth was rent asunder.

"_Doton: Retsudo Tenshou!"_

"K'so!"

Naruto leapt into the sky as the tree he had been perched in splintered and toppled into the shifting, groaning ground, twisting awkwardly as splinters of stone and dirt flew into his eyes and nose. He grunted as he slammed into the lower hanging branch of a tree that was outside the perimeter of destruction and panted heavily as his eyes watered from the dust that had risen. He felt a small vibration run through his body and then his breathing stopped: the ground beneath Naruto's new tree exploded and the tree was being sucked down into the earth.

He jumped down to the ground and landed heavily as he looked about wildly. No Sakura, no Kakashi, no enemy in sight…

"Fuck, the son of a bitch is underground!"

Naruto leaned back and not a second later a fist adorned with iron knuckles, which were channeling crackling blue chakra, whizzed past where his head had been a moment ago. He blocked a barrage of choppy taijutsu assaults before leaping back and flying through a set of familiar seals.

_Tora, Saru, Ouso-buta, Uma, Tora. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

The jutsu was magnificent to watch, a large glowing sphere of fire in which yellow and gold and orange swirled and melded beautifully as it hurled towards the enemy ninja who stared at it in an awed shock before throwing his hands up. Naruto waited expectantly for the jutsu to dissipate and to see the charred remains of the enemy so that he could go find Sakura and Kakashi, but such was not the case. The enemy ninja had encased himself in thick walls of mud that slowly melted away, revealing his relieved, smirking face. Naruto frowned and his eyes narrowed dangerously as he gave a humorless chuckle.

"Stubborn guy, aren't you asshole?"

* * *

Daiichi was the only one left. 

The mission had gone downhill after the blonde had summoned shadow clones. _Twenty clones was insane. The guy must have a sick kekkei genkai or something._ One by one, his teammates had fallen; the captain had been hit by the kunoichi, and Daiichi had watched in horror as his skull cracked open from the force and he collapsed where he stood and twitched pathetically as his brains leaked out through the cracks.

The masked man had taken out three of his comrades with a strange jutsu that was blue and white like lightning and shrieked like angry birds. He had felt the faint stirrings of déjà vu, as if he should know who that man was. He was panicking, and hurled a flurry of kunai and shuriken to bide some time as he went through a series of familiar hand signs and launched one of his most powerful doton jutsu.

_Half Ram, Ground Push. "Doton: Retsudo Tenshou!"_

The blonde leapt into the sky as the tree he had been perched in splintered and was sucked into the shifting, groaning whirlpool of dirt and rock. He twisted awkwardly as splinters of stone and dirt flecked into his eyes, and Daiichi saw his chance as the blonde grappled desperately for leverage in a new tree. He grunted as he extended his chakra, recharging the jutsu and guiding it past its first boundary, extending the perimeter of destruction a further 75 yards and sucking the blonde's second tree down into the grinding death trap.

He snarled as the blonde avoided his assault again and dug himself into the ground, hissing in pain as his fingernails were ripped backwards and he burst up through the ground to break the jaw of the insufferable blond, only to have him dodge again and launch a katon that he only just blocked with a hasty _Doryuuheki_. He was exhausted, his chakra was low, and the blonde was laughing. Things did not look good.

He snarled as the blonde ninja advanced, twirling a kunai on his pinky as he smiled, flashing gleaming canines like those of a wolf. He snarled and launched a flurry of shuriken at the blonde which were blocked by a kunai that spiraled out of nowhere and dug itself into his shoulder. He grunted in pain and blinked as he was bound by wire. The kunoichi landed beside the blonde, and the silver man stood off to the side reading a book.

"That the last one, Naruto?"

The blonde nodded cheerfully. "Yeah." The kunoichi snorted.

"Naruto, you need to stop playing around and just get the job done."

"Sorry, Sakura-chan."

Daiichi stared at the three and hate welled up in his heart. He looked at the blonde's neck, and the gleaming metal plate of his hitai-ate with the Konoha leaf glinted mockingly at him.

"You'll all get yours!" Daiichi screamed and the three Konoha nin all turned back to him with blank, mocking eyes. "You'll all get yours," he said again as his voice cracked with a sob. The kunoichi and silver ninja twitched restlessly and the blonde seemed torn.

"Naruto, Sakura and I will clean up the rest. Deal with him."

"Hai, Kaka-taichou." His voice was soft.

They were alone again, and Daiichi's angry, wet eyes met the blonde's sad blue eyes. "You'll all get yours," he whispered viciously. The blonde cocked his head to the side.

"Sorry kid," he said. At that moment, Daiichi wished he could apologize to Tousan for his failure.

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"_

Naruto did not miss this time, and Daiichi did not block.

* * *

To say that the Godaime was furious upon hearing the team mission report was a serious understatement. 

"You were ambushed? The mission was a ruse to kill you? Who did you encounter?" She demanded hotly.

Kakashi stepped forward. "They were Iwa nin, Hokagesama."

Her eyes darted to Kakashi. "Are you absolutely sure they were of the Stone. This is a heavy offense, and to lay an accusation of such levity if there is even a fraction of doubt …"

"They were Iwa nin, Lady Hokage," Kakashi said firmly.

Tsunade's face was twisted with rage and, for a moment, her genjutsu flickered, revealing tired wrinkles and angry furrows that faded back into a smooth, young visage. She slowly swiveled in her chair, turning her back to the three Jounin. Her voice was soft and velvety when she spoke again, causing Naruto and Sakura to shiver.

"You killed them all, then? All of the Iwa nin that ambushed you are dead?" Kakashi nodded and spoke cautiously.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"And the bodies?"

"Incinerated by a Katon."

"The Iwa nin will surely notice damage caused by a Katon and surmise what occurred, regardless of the lack of bodies, if they truly were behind it," Tsunade mused.

Naruto coughed. "No worries, Baachan. I took care of that. There's no trace of us, them, or the fight at all."

Tsunade shot Naruto a probing look which he met shakily.

"A jutsu I picked up when I was off with Jiraiya," he said and Tsunade left it at that.

She sighed and thumbed through the thick leaflets of mission details on her desk. "A simple A rank assassination turned into a surprise ambush from Iwagakure…hmm…Iwa…all of them…_dead_…"

She stood up suddenly and walked over to the large bay windows of her office and stared up at the Hokage monument. Naruto craned over to see her face, and was vaguely disturbed by her serene visage and the little satisfied quirk of her lips.

"Team Kakashi, you're dismissed."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

They filed out silently and Naruto, who normally stayed after mission reports to chat with Tsunade realized that now was not the time. She looked preoccupied, and Naruto had learned enough to know that nothing unimportant could hold the thoughts of the Godaime long.

As he stood in the doorway, he heard Tsunade whisper sibilantly, "_Iwagakure no Sato…"_

She looked up for a moment, and in that instant hazel locked with blue. They stared at one another for a moment and Tsunade's satisfied expression faltered for a moment. She opened her mouth slightly then looked away as a furrow creased her forehead again.

"Go home and sleep, gaki; we need to talk tomorrow."

She looked out the window and Naruto closed the door.

* * *

_Hakke Fuuin Shiki:_ Eight Divination Signs Seal Style: eight pronged seal used in conjunction with the Shiki Fuujin techinque Shisou Fuuin seal. Allows the Shisou Fuuin to leak Kyuubi chakra to Naruto's system. 

_Shisou Fuuin_: Four Image Seal: four pronged seal used in conjunction with the Shiki Fuujin technique and the Hakke Fuuin Shiki to seal the Kyuubi into Naruto.

_Doton: Retsudo Tenshou:_ Earth Technique: Splitting Earth Force

_Doton: __Doryuuheki:_ Earth Technique: Earth Rising Wall (Mudslide Barrier)

Okay, I know this is kinda a big departure from the first chapter, which focused on the politics of Konoha. Trust me, politics are going to be rampant in this story; this chapter just wasn't about that aspect. Oh, and I know my attempts at action are a bit lackluster; writing fighting scenes is most definitely **not** my forte.

**symbiotic**: you were my first review, and for that I will always love you huggles And I just pulled those politics out of my ass. They sounded official, so yeah.

**BlackRosex**: Thank you sou much!! I tried searching for that fic you reccommended, but I couldn't find it (I think my computer was screwing me). I promptly named the council members after I read your review, so thanks again for the motivation.

**spyder**: You made me groan with your technical analysis, for I realized that yes, my clause did in fact void the check-and-balance thing I had going. Damn, curse you evil inconsistencies I must now fix!! ((I'll fix it...eventually:D) But really, thanks for pointing that out. Like I said earlier, I just pulled that stuff out my ass and hoped it worked. I was thinking along the premise that most of the council members were indeed ninja, and that if a Hokage grew to powerful to their liking, they could arrange an accident of sorts, honorary powers or not.

Okay, I hope this chapter didn't suck to much (I kinda liked it, not really though...). Once again, if you see any technical inconsistencies or grammar mistakes, please tell me and I'll fix it (or try to talk my way around fixing it like I did my **spyder**, lol). REVIEW,REVIEW,REVIEW!!!

Peace,

**emo fox ATTACK**


	3. Stream of Consciousness

**disclaimer**: emo fox ATTACK still does not own **_Naruto_**

**Chapter 3**

_Have edited chapter 2 for some minor annoyances._

* * *

The night was brutal, assaulting his senses with the acrid smell of smoke as phantom tongues of fire ghosted across his skin. That young face of the crying Iwa nin was on an endless loop, blackening and cracking with a grin plastered on that was as vicious as Tsunade's. Naruto knew sleep would not be coming to him for a long time, and he thought back with a smile those grief-filled nights after his first kill: at least then he had had a reason. 

He could not sleep: a prickling sense of foreboding pervaded his body, and unpleasant tingles of something traveled the length of his spin. His guts were churning, and he was feverish. He was not sick, of course- Kyuubi would not allow it. He was not one to worry, but this deep sense of anxiousness was lingering, worse than the stink that took weeks to wash out of his old jumpsuit when the old landlord cut off his water and he couldn't afford to go to the laundromat.

Naruto was nervous. Fuck that, he was scared.

Scared of what? Even he did not know. But those intangible fears were the worst, because there was nothing that could prove them baseless.

Naruto did not like the dark. He slept with the curtains to his window pulled back, hoping to catch some moonbeams.

Naruto was beginning to know fear of a different sort, and his fears were extended as he recalled that look in Tsunade's eyes when she told him to leave. If there was a problem, of course Tsunade would know about it- it was the job of the Hokage to ensure the continued prosperity of Konohagakure. But Naruto saw desperation in those hazel eyes, the reckless hope of someone already dead when she whispered _Iwagakure no Sato…_

There was something very wrong with Tsunade's reaction to their mission report. They had recovered from the heavy losses suffered from the death of Sandaime, and needed to reconsolidate their dominance over the other countries. The implications of the ambush were as good a reason to go to war with the Stone, and Suna would back them regardless the consequences. The tensions between the Leaf and Stone were still present, kept alive by a raw bitterness passed on by surviving veterans. Any other day, Tsunade would have declared war on the Stone and ordered its utter annihilation.

But all she had done was smile upon hearing that her prized Team Kakashi had been ambushed and pulled that formal Godaime shit.

Something was very, very wrong with that picture. Naruto swallowed dryly. Whatever was going on was a bad, bad business and he wanted no part of it. But his involvement was probably unavoidable: jinchuuriki were tools, manipulated to facilitate any need of their village. But still…

It was deeper this time. The problem at hand seemed more convoluted than anything they had had to deal with before; he knew that much when Tsunade looked away when he closed that door. What could be so important that it made them revert back to distant protocol?

It was going to be complicated.

Naruto did not know where his jumbled thoughts were taking him, but he knew that he should fear for the future of the Fire Contry.

"Go to sleep, Uzumaki. Go to sleep." And Kyuubi laughed deep and guttural.

* * *

Sakura lay in her old bed, staring up at the water stained ceiling. She had her own apartment now, but sometimes she would go back home and look after her parents: they were getting on in the years, and seemed to worry about her more often now since they realized exactly what it truly meant to be a shinobi. It had been easier for them to bear when she was a genin (she was still their little girl who wore ribbons in her hair who was learning the right way to punch.) Sakura could remember clearly their stricken faces when she returned from her first A-rank mission covered in blood, the look that told her they _knew_. 

The paint in her old bedroom was chipping now, a girlish bubble gum pink that made her smile. Her apartment was beige, with a dark rug; not as vibrant as she would have liked, but she had bought a few painting to liven up the place. Naruto had plants in his apartment, didn't he? Maybe she would buy some one day.

She yawned and rolled over onto her side, facing the wall. The bed was small, and her feet stuck out at the end; the mattress was well worn, and she could feel a spring poking at her lower back. She wished her bed was closer to a window, so that she could catch a breeze, but inner Sakura quickly squashed that foolish notion with a sneer. Windows are insecure locations; shinobi should place themselves in secure locations at times of weakness. Sleeping was a weakness all shinobi had, thus Sakura suffered.

Naruto's bed was probably by a window, Sakura thought with a snort. But he was studying seals now, and had most likely secured his apartment against hostiles- besides, Naruto was scrappy enough to take care of himself if his defenses were breached.

She rolled over again and lay there for over an hour before she deemed her night over. She took her time getting up, and got dressed, flexing her hands into her gloves; they were starting to get worn out, she would need to replace them soon. She wrote a quick note to her parents, apologizing for leaving without notice- she would post it on the refrigerator so they would not miss it.

She tiptoed downstairs, holding her breath as she heard her father snore loudly. She turned down the hall to the kitchen, staring nervously at the soft glow of light from the kitchen; she had turned off all the lights when she went to bed. "It's probably nothing," she muttered as she stroked the holster secured about her thigh. She peeked around the corner, and put her kunai back.

Her mother sat at the kitchen counter, smiling as she rifled through an old photo album Sakura remembered looking through once or twice. There was a glass of untouched water next to her mother, and Sakura realized she was rather thirsty. She knew her mother had seen her enter, and was content to let her speak first. Mrs. Haruno seemed torn, before she turned green eyes to her daughter.

"Ah, Sakura… I was just looking though some old pictures of the family-" she cut herself off, and looked away as her voice hitched. When she turned back to Sakura, she was all gentle smiles. "I know it's very early- the sun hasn't even risen yet!- but I feel so restless, I was just about to start breakfast. Do you think you'll be able to stay for breakfast? Your father will wake up if he smells food, so…"

Sakura was tempted to say no. She needed to train, and wanted to get it out of the way before she did her tenure at the hospital. But her mother seemed a bit off, and had been rather frayed around the edges. Even now, a little note of hysteria had been lighting her voice.

"Yeah mom, I think I'll be staying for breakfast."

Mrs. Haruno smiled, and Sakura knew she had made the right choice.

* * *

Kakashi had loved his students, even way back when he was too foolish to realize their potential. But, he really did care for them, and wanted nothing but the best for them: it was more apparent now then it had been back then, but it was the truth. They were very dear to him. 

_Too little too late, Hatake: they can take care of themselves now._

The old Team Seven photo was next to his own genin team photo, both of which were propped on the table next to his bed, which was halfway between his window and bedroom door. His sheets were plain and rumpled, and a spare vest was tossed over his pillow: it had been there since before the mission, and would likely remain there into the considerable future. Kakashi had not been sleeping well as of late.

He was shaken after the mission, more so than he thought he would be. It was a close call, a very close call: there had been so many ninja, the odds had been stacked tremendously in favor of their untimely deaths. Or, he could have lived on, and lost Naruto and Sakura. And he would have been left once again, another Obito and another Rin. It was a scary thought, being alone again. He couldn't bear to lose them: it hurt that he lost one, he would not lose the rest.

Kakashi was ashamed of his past. His failures far outstripped his successes, and what made it unbearable was that no one but he acknowledged the fact. His foolishness had aided in Obito's death, his foolishness had facilitated Sasuke's defection, his foolishness, foolishness, foolishness! He had invested so much time and energy in the boy, to make up to Obito, only to have it all blow up in his face, leaving him with two broken students who had never had him when they needed him.

Neglect. That was Kakashi's crime. He had neglected to nurture his bonds with his teammates as a child, and lost them. He had neglected to nurture his bonds with all of his students as a man, and had lost them. It hurt.

Naruto was Jiraiya's. Sakura was Tsunade's. Orochimaru thought he had him, but Sasuke was no-ones. At least Naruto and Sakura still loved him, and stayed with him, giving him the will to go one. The sun still shined.

"A shinobi who abandons his teammates is trash."

They may not need him now, but Kakashi would be there for them no matter what.

* * *

Dawn was fast approaching, and the morning warbles of the birds displaced the cricket song of the night. The civilians slept, internal clocks set to go off with the faint rays of the rising sun. The final transience of dark to light was the shinobi's hour, where shadowy figures lurked with twitching fingers and nervous kunai. But Konohagakure was safe that night from all external penetrations. The coming dawn would be the harbinger of chaos, as inky blacks and indigos were violently consumed by the bleached pinks of oranges of the coming sun until the sky shifted to a clear, clear blue. 

The sun rose late, its rays dispelling wispy mists and the dew on the green grass. There was an urgent message received from the daimyo, and the order for a total summons had been issued by the Council. The resonant beating of a distant drum echoed throughout the village, rousing the ninja from the shadows, the waking from their beds. Entranced and frightened, the villagers traveled in the odd, lingering quasi-darkness to the Hokage's tower, a large amorphous mass looking up at that balcony where Tsunade had stood so long ago. Naruto was among the crowd, and Kakashi, and Sakura, although her parents were not present (her mother had fallen ill shortly after breakfast, and her father remained to tend to her needs).

The drum was still being pounded, thus a steady, painful rhythm of _ba-bum-ba-bum _heralded Tsunade's appearance. She looked lovely and terrible up on the balcony, with the Hokage hat and robe on: Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane stood behind her, looking somber.

The drumming stopped, and the crowd stood silent as Tsunade slid her hat off. She smiled softly, and the tension skyrocketed as everyone forgot to breathe.

"Civilians, Shinobi- citizens of Konohagakure: Thank you for assembling here so swiftly, it being so early, and the summons being so hasty. I'm sorry, but this couldn't wait. I have relinquished my position. I am no longer the Hokage. My successor will be announced in a months time. Once again, thank you."

She smiled again, pivoted on her heel, and left swiftly, leaving the Council Elders to deal with the impending aftermath as the crowd reeled and tried to process what had been said. Kakashi looked up, catching the gaze of a hidden ANBU member, and Naruto and Sakura sought each other out with uneasy smiles on their faces.

* * *

Oh well, fuck. Sorry for the delay. You may have divined that I do not update regularly. This is a permanent condition of mine, sadly, so, expect this often. Thanks should go to hydraling110, because without her threats of bodily harm, I would not have posted this anytime soon. Sorry about this chapter, I haven't edited it all, so it's not all the way to my liking. Close enough though. 

Thank you for the reviews!! (more would be nice :D), and the next chapter will come eventuallty. Trust me on that, because I will never abandon this. This is the only thing I'm probably never going to lie about, so take heed of it.

**Happy Holidays to everyone**

**emo fox ATTACK**


	4. An Outsider's Perception

**disclaimer**: emo fox ATTACK still does not own **_Naruto_**.

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Shizune sighed as she looked at the large stack of unchecked mail for Tsunade, a small note from the Kazekage right on top.

The last few days had been complete and utter chaos. Everyone was taking the news of Tsunade's retirement very hard, but Tsunade seemed particularly troubled. It was obviously stressful, giving up the position that had been the focal point of her life for so many years: Shizune understood this. But it still hurt, seeing her mistress unhappy and being unable to do anything about it.

If anyone would be able to cheer Tsunade up, it would be Naruto, but her Lady had told the ANBU at her door to turn away all visitors, and Shizune watched from the shadows as every day a dark-eyed Naruto was told politely that the Godaime was indisposed, and to please try again later. Sakura was just as bad off as Naruto, as her meeting with Tsunade had ceased. But she kept herself occupied well, booking five back-to-back shifts at the hospital, kept conscious by an unhealthy mix of caffeine and adrenaline manipulating jutsus.

Shizune noticed that the Council of Elders did not seem overly perturbed by Tsunade's abdication Homura and Koharu had been utterly emotionless as they stood behind Tsunade, and Danzo had seemed rather pleased when she saw the Council gather to hold an impromptu meeting with the ex-Hokage.

Something seemed amiss with the entire situation, and Shizune wondered just how many things her mistress kept a secret from her. They had not been talking much lately, as Tsunade seemed so distant and preoccupied nowadays, and the conversations they did have were always so cryptic that Shizune could barely make head nor tails of them. She recalled their last conversation with a small frown; it had been particularly unsettling.

"_Shizune?" Shizune looked up from the scrolls she had been filing, regarding her mistress warily._

"_Yes, Lady Tsunade?"_

"_Shizune… How long has it been, since you joined me?"_

"_I've actually lost track of time since I began traveling with you…" She took a moment to think. "It's been a bit over a decade now, yes?"_

_Tsunade shrugged tiredly and plopped down into a chair as she closed her eyes._

"_Perhaps… perhaps… but, in all respects, it has been a long time, yes?"_

"_Yes…"_

"_Shizune, you know you'll have to leave me one day, right?"_

"_My Lady! I-_"

"_-'know that I will have to leave you,' is what you were going to say, right, Shizune?"_

_Shizune started. "My Lady, I don't- Why-?"_

_Tsunade sighed. "I'm sorry, Shizune, I'm just upset is all. It's not your fault I'm pissed, and I shouldn't take it out on you. But," she continued gingerly, "things will change. You know that, right?"_

_Shizune was quiet for a moment. "All things change, Lady," she finally whispered._

"_All things change," Tsunade echoed. They sat together for a moment, before Tsunade stood to excuse herself. But before she left-_

"_Oh, and Shizune? Look out for mine when I can't, alright?"_

_Shizune swallowed heavily before smiling._

"_Of course." When Tsunade was gone, Shizune had to wonder what exactly was the point of that conversation. She realized it may take a while before she truly understood._

Tsunade was a blunt personality, and for her to be so vague about anything was always a bad sign. Take care of hers? The only thing Tsunade really called hers was Naruto, but their was no point in asking her to look out for him- Shizune would always look out for him.

It was not easy, being Tsunade's assistant, especially when she was acting like this, but easy lives were not meant for shinobi, were they?

Shizune looked down at the note from the Kazekage to Tsunade, opening it carefully and scanning it quickly.

_**To: Godaime Hokage**_

_**Dawn has come once again.**_

_**The earth has betrayed.**_

_**Beware, for the trees roots dwell in the earth.**_

_**Inform the sun of an impending eclipse**_.

Shizune paled and tucked the note in her sleeve. Tsunade would have to see this quickly. She coughed, and Kitsune stepped out of the shadows. "Tell Lady Tsunade I must speak with her. It cannot wait."

Kitsune nodded and disappeared, and Shizune slumped in her seat. What would the ext Kage be like, she wondered. They would have to be informed of the Akatsuki crisis, obviously: would they be efficient, or allow the Council to impose their safety protocols on the village? Shizune did not expect too much: there was likely not another Tsunade out there. The Council would have a field day, and reassert themselves eagerly, destroying all headway Tsunade made, for incoming Hokages.

"Damn it all!"

"Shizune?

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune stood hastily and bowed as her mistress entered her office.

"Kitsune said you had a message for me?"

"Yes, from Gaara-sama."

She passed the note to Tsunade, who read it quickly. A grim line set upon her brow, and her chuckle was not pleasant.

"So, Gaara has confirmed it, then?" she said. Shizune nodded.

"Yes, this note correlates with what Jiraiya's spies told us. Akatsuki is once again becoming active, the Stone appears to have sided with them, and the Nekomata Jinchuuriki-"

"No, "eclipse" does not refer to Nekomata. Naruto is "the sun". What is the only thing that would cast a shadow on him?" Shizune thought for a moment, then paled. "No…"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. The Uchiha boy is on the move. If Naruto were to encounter him…"

"I understand. We must keep Naruto from learning of this. If he were to learn that Sasuke was active, he would request retrieval missions, thinking he had another chance to… We must prevent him from doing anything rash."

Tsunade smiled when Shizune said this. "We have to keep Naruto from finding out anything else about the Uchiha boy. Don't worry about a thing, Shizune, I'll keep Naruto preoccupied. I'll keep him busy for a month, and then-"

"Wait, only a month?"

"Yes, only a month. Once that month is up, Naruto will find himself quite busy. He wouldn't be able to track the Uchiha brat if he wanted too."

Shizune wanted badly to ask Tsunade why she had been pushing Naruto away then, if she planned to take care of everything, but she kept her mouth closed and her thoughts to herself. She had followed Tsunade for years- now was not the time to question.

* * *

Naruto rubbed at his eyes as he hurried to answer his door. Who the fuck would call on him now, at fucking midnight! He opened the door as far as the chain lock would allow, a volley of curses ready on the tips of his tongue until he spied the white face, with the black red-rimmed eyes and red, snarling, fanged, grinning mouth that uttered, "Tsunade summons you at the Memorial Stone."

ANBU.

Naruto sighed as he bit back his curses, and huffed as he closed the door to go find some pants.

* * *

Can anyone say filler much? (And we're only at the fourth chapter...sob)

I guess by now you've all come to expect short chapters from me, but I'm actually a bit ashamed for the length of this one. Well, I was kinda stuck, and this is merely a transition chapter... we should be getting into the real story within a few chapters. I'm guessing four. I don't like this chapter much (expect for the very end with Naruto, but I digress.) This was not edited too much, so yeah.

Thanks for the reviews! They are what motivate me to actually keep up this story (along threats of [severe bodily harm from hydraling110). I read every single review I get, and they all make me happy, but I have to comment on one: **kyuubi-rain**, I swear, I almost died from laughing when I read your comment, and I don't know why. True story. This note is way longer than I intended... well...

**emo fox ATTACK**


	5. Tea Pots and Water Bottles

**disclaimer: **_emo fox ATTACK_ does NOT own **Naruto**

**Chapter 5

* * *

**

Panic. Complete and utter panic.

That is what Homura felt when Tsunade announced her successor. He could see a similar panic boiling beneath the calm exterior of Koharu's visage, and Danzo- well, Danzo was inscrutable as usual. But, this was horrible, horrible! It was like everything was falling apart, and there was nothing that could be done to rectify the mess.

Surprisingly, it was Kokoro who managed to keep her head.

"Well, that threw us for a loop, right dears? Let us not lose our heads! Come, come, we'll discuss this over tea."

And so the Council of Elders found themselves convened in Kokoro's cozy apartment, sipping tea from delicate china.

It was good tea, Homura noted duly, grimacing slightly as he shifted painfully in his recliner. Koharu sat nearby, speaking in soft tones to a fierce looking Kaoru while Itsuki stared off into space, bored, at her side. Haru and Hitomi were joking together on a plush, floral-patterned love-seat, and their light hearted, rasping laughter was a peculiar counterpoint to the sharp whisperings of Koharu and Kaoru. Danzo sat separate from the rest, perched in a stiff wooden chair which set Homura's back into a protest of aches at the mere sight of it. Only Kokoro and Hachimaru seemed at ease, Kokoro due to her infinite optimism; Hachimaru in that he did not seem to care much for anything. Homura cleared his throat, and all eyes turned to him.

"Well, ah… the tea is good," he said awkwardly. Kokoro beamed, while Danzo snorted.

"Let us stop pussyfooting around, Homura," he growled, to which Kaoru nodded.

"I agree with Danzo. We must address this new issue with the Jinchuuriki. We cannot allow it to become Hokage." A hum of assent rent through the room at her words, but Hitomi coughed delicately.

"Tsunade-sama named the boy her heir apparent many years ago- I don't understand why you all are making such a fuss about it now! The boy has been nothing but an asset to the village; why, I would go so far as to wager he would make a wonderful Hokage." Hachimaru laughed lowly at this.

"You _would_ think that, Hitomi…"

"I won't have you insulting me, Hachimaru!"

"Silence!" Koharu's voice was unusually harsh, and Hachimaru and Hitomi quieted, both suitably abashed, though Hitomi's lips thinned into a hard line as she cast one last contemptuous glance Hachimaru's way. "We must focus on the issue of the Kyuubi-bearer. It is true that we cannot prevent him from becoming the Rokudaime; let us explore our plausible options."

Silence. Danzo was the first to speak.

"I say we eliminate the Kyuubi before it becomes a further nuisance." A contemptuous snort followed his proclamation, and Danzo turned his sharp gaze onto a sneering Kaoru.

"You are getting predictable, Danzo," she said finally. "A tempting proposition, I will admit, but killing the Jinchuuriki would prove too problematic. Tsunade would become incensed, as would Jiraiya- I for one am not privy to making enemies of the Sannin. They would not rest until they destroyed us all." At this, she closed her eyes tiredly, and Itsuki stroked her wrinkled hand absent-mindedly.

Danzo was not pleased at the dismissal, and growled his displeasure. "If killing it is not an option, what would you do, Kaoru?" The challenge was clear, and she met it flawlessly.

"What would I do? Why, the answer is simple. It is true that we cannot prevent the Jinchuuriki from _becoming _Rokudaime, as it remains the prerogative of the Hokage to select a successor. However, should the candidate prove unsuitable, it is well within our powers to see that the selected does not _remain _Hokage. Do you see now, Danzo?" Kaoru's tone was mocking. "Killing is not always the solution." He glowered, but kept quiet. Surprisnlgy, Haru was the first to respond to Kaoru's reasoning.

"So, you wish to impeach the boy? If I may, won't that be a tad bit transparent? I'm quite sure Tsunade-sama will see the ploy as what it is: an excuse to keep the boy out of a position of power."

"So you support the Jinchuuriki as well, Haru?" Koharu asked gravelly. He leveled her with his mild stare.

"Well, I'm certainly not against him."

She sighed. "I see."

"On what basis shall we impeach Uzumaki?" Itsuki asked passively, taking a disinterest sip of tea as Homura shrugged.

"The Kyuubi-bearer has grown into an accomplished shinobi, I will admit. However, he remains impulsive and overly-emotional. I am fully confident that it will be a mere matter of time before he does something which will provide us with a solid basis for his dismissal."

"Hear hear!" Hachimaru muttered, with a vicious glance at Hitomi, who puffed up angrily before deflating reluctantly when Kokoro sent her a pleading look.

"Please, lets not fight," she entreated weakly, reaching forward and picking a opalescent tea pot off her low sitting table. Her hands shook slightly as she refilled cups, and Homura was reminded suddenly of just how old they all were. Was it worth it, wasting what were possibly the last years of there lives, to preserve the sanctity of the Hokage's office when he could feel the cold breath of death nipping at his nape every day? Was it not their due, to be allowed a small reprieve to enjoy the time they had left, after devoting so much of their lives to protecting the village? Looking into the calculating eyes of Danzo and the resigned face of Koharu, he knew that action was the only possible course to take.

They would challenge the Jinchuuriki, and they would win, for they were shinobi, charged with maintaining the harmony of Konoha.

A shinobi knew no rest until his final breath, after all.

* * *

Grumbling and cursing, Sakura rolled out of bed and stumbled towards her front door, left hand crackling with sickly green chakra. She had escaped from her parents around midnight and had managed to fall asleep less than an hour ago. It was three o'clock in the morning. Her hospital shift started at six. "It had better be important," she mumbled darkly, yanking her door open, scowl in place before it shifted into a look of surprise. "Naruto? What-"

He was visibly distraught, which set Sakura on edge. Naruto was her best friend- no, Ino was her best friend; Naruto had become something way more than that. She trusted him with her secrets, with her life, and he bestowed that same trust on her in return. But, he rarely showed her his pain so openly.

"Come in, come in out of the cold," she said and he walked in, eyes blank. Sakura followed him into the living room, where he sat on the couch; she perched delicately on a chair across from him, scanning his face worriedly. Were those tear tracks?

"Naruto?" she called softly, entreatingly. His shoulders shook slightly.

"Sakura…" his voice hitched towards the end.

"I'll get us some water," she said, sensing that he needed some time to gather his wits about him. The light in her refrigerator was uncomfortably bright as she reached for two water bottles, and she squinted as she turned and started back to the sitting room. Her steps faltered slightly when she caught sight of Naruto's eyes. Some light from the street lamps filtered into the room through folds in the curtains, and his eyes gleamed faintly in the quasi-darkness.

'Is Naruto developing… a tapetum lucidum? Another effect of the Kyuubi…?' She willed these thoughts away and made her way back to her chair, tossing a bottle to Naruto. Now was no the time for speculation; Naruto had come to her distressed, and she was there to hear him out and comfort him, as he had done for her so many countless times.

"Sakura…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gonna be Rokudaime."

"Of course you are, Naruto."

"No, you don't understand. I'm _gonna_ be the _Rokudaime_. I'm gonna be sworn into office in a month."

"Oh… I see… sooner than I'd expect, to tell the truth…"

Sakura was not surprised that Naruto was going to be Rokudaime; hell, there was no one more deserving of being considered to hold that most venerable of positions. She could see him now, standing up on that podium, a glowing being of crimson and shining gold, his strange purple dusk eyes glittering with a happiness she had not seen in years.

"Why were you crying? This has been your dream for so long, aren't you happy?" He raised glittering eyes to her face.

"Can we go to sleep?"

Sakura frowned at the diversion, but let it slide. Naruto would tell her everything in time, and she suddenly remembered just how tired she was, and that she did need to rest, at least a little, if she wanted to restore her chakra reserves to a suitable level. Gently, she took his hand and led him to her room, where he rummaged through a dresser, crowing in weak triumph as he found a few of his night shirts, testament to past sleep over sessions. Silently, he slipped into bed, where Sakura was already under the covers. It was a cool night, and Sakura curled against him; he was a constant source of heat, what with a fire demon locked within.

"Why were you crying?" she mumbled into his chest, absently runner her fingers through the fine hairs at the nape of his neck.

"I'm scared," he said after a long time. "Of course I'm happy about it, but it's scary at the same time. A Jinchuuriki as Hokage? Can you imagine the backlash?"

"Gaara didn't have that much trouble, did he?" Sakura asked, fighting back a yawn. Naruto shook his head.

"No…but, Suna's more practical with stuff like that then we are. When it comes down to it, I guess they decided to count their blessings that Gaara didn't kill them all, and realized the benefits of having a demonic Kazekage." He laughed darkly, and Sakura silently admitted he had a valid point.

"It'll be rough," she conceded. "But, who else could be Hokage, really? No one else is worthy, in my opinion. You need o believe you deserve this, Naruto. You used to say that all the time when we were kids, remember?"

A humorless chuckle. "Things were different back then. I'm older now; I know what worries are." Sakura sighed. She too, knew what worries were.

"There's just so much to do. I didn't know how much I'd have to do 'till Baa-chan talked to me."

"You spoke with Tsunade?" She was tired, so tired, but Naruto was more important than the hospital.

"Yeah, I did," he said, and his voice was distant, and it held that subtle tremor again. She reached over and stroked the raised scares of his cheeks, and he moved towards her, sighing quietly at the gentle ministration.

"Lot's of people won't want me as Hokage, you know?" Yeah, she knew. And suddenly, Sakura knew exactly why Naruto was so upset. She grabbed his face and pulled it towards her, making sure his glinting eyes were staring straight into hers.

"No matter what Naruto, we'll always have each other. No matter what, I'll always be there for you, and you'll always be there for me. Right?"

She saw a faint gleam of ivory, and knew that Naruto was smiling at her. She smiled back.

"Right."

They both relaxed, and Sakura felt herself sink into the slow oblivion of sleep. Her mind was blank, a pleasant blue-black haze of indistinct images and brief, already forgotten half-thoughts. A small part of her mind was fully alert, but the manic edge of vigilance that was usually present was tempered tonight. She was safe with Naruto.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?" she whispered.

"I'm thirsty."

"I gave you a water bottle," she sniffed deeply, stifling a yawn.

"Left it up front."

"Too bad. Go to sleep."

"Alright."

She smiled, and sank back into the soft embrace of rest. Tonight was a good night.

* * *

**A/N**

Once again, I apologize for the lateness of this chapter!!! I lost my inspiration for writing in general, and its been gone for a LONG TIME. A well timed winter break got me back in commission though, and I suddenly realized how much I missed this. Thanks for all the reviews, and I hope this chapter is DECENT. I'll admit, I'm getting impatient, I want to segway into the meat of the story now!! But, I know patience, and I'm gonna do this the right way...

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! AND REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW :)**

_~emo fox ATTACK_


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